Apple box



w. M. IVEAUX' May 21, 1935.

APPLE BOX Filed Oct; 12, 1931 a gwve'ntoo 13 Wz'lZiamM Veaua:

Patented May 21,: 1935 'UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPLE BOX WilliainM. Veaux Seattle, Wash. Application October 12, 1031, Serial No. 568,358. I

' Claims. (01. 217-36) My invention relates to improvements in apple boxes and more particularly to improvements in the apple boxes that are used in the apple growing country of the Pacific northwest, especially 5 in the eastern part of the States of Washington and Oregon. These boxes are used for packing and shipping apples by the millions each year and have been made of a standard size and construction for many years without changes or improvements. One object of my invention is to provide means whereby this particular kind of box may be-stackd one upon the other and transported from place to place without danger of bruising the apples contained therein. An-

other object is to provide means whereby the boxes are stacked in spaced apart relation thus leaving a ventilating space between each box for keeping the apples cool and fresh. A further object is to effect a saving in the cost of storing the boxes for shipment on a sea going vessel by eliminating the use of all dunnage or loose pieces of lumber for spacing the boxes apart. A still further object is to effect a saving in handling whereby tiers of the boxes may be loaded upon and unloaded from a truck by a single workman. And still another object is to provide a positive means for indicating which side of the boxes are to be placed downward one upon the other when they are stacked in tiers.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement hereinafter described and claimed.

These objects are accomplished by the devicesv illustrated in the accompanying drawing; wherein: Figure 1 is a general view in perspective of an apple box embodying my improvement; Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing a tier of boxes embodying my invention stacked one upon the other within a shipping conveyance that is shown in vertical section; and Fig. 4 is a reduced view in top plan showing the disposition of boxes as they appear from above when stacked in tiers for shipment.

- Referring to the drawing throughout which like reference numerals designate like parts, a description of the standard apple box used in the northwest will first be made. This box comprises end boards 5 that are comparatively thick and made of one piece of board which is almost square. The two sides, designated by the numeral 6, are about half the thickness of the end boards, about twice as long, and made of one board that is of the same width as the end boards.

The bottom of the box is usually made of two boards, as shown at I, which are quite thin. The top is almost always made of two very thin boards 8 of springy or resilient wood which are secured by narrow end cleats 9 of the same thin 5 material. After the box has been filled with apples its top is secured by nails Ill projecting through said top boards and cleats into the thick end boards 5. Said top boards always bulge outward, as most clearly shown at l l in Figs. 1 and 4, 10 due to their springy nature and to the invariable custom of slightly overfilling the boxes with apples. This box has been described somewhat in detail for the reason that my improvement is especially adapted thereto and its utility resides 15 almost wholly in its combination with this particular form of apple box.

My improvement essentially comprises a cleat l2 secured to each end of the box on one of its sides 6 only. These cleats are purposely made 20 slightly shorter than the height of the box and when secured to the box a short space is left between their ends and the top and bottom of the box as at l3. This space is left so that the ends of the cleats will not interfere or come in con- 25 tact with objects when the boxes are being handled and will therefore not be so readily knocked off. These cleats are placed at the ends of one of the side boards 6 so that the nails [4 or other fastenings with which they are secured will 30 enter the thick end boards 5 thus making a strong connection.

In stacking the boxes one upon the other they are placed with their cleats l2 downward as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Thus 35 the cleats of the bottom box rest on the floor and the cleats of each succeeding box above rest on the side of the next box below opposite to its cleats. This mode of stacking always ensures the bulging tops ll of the boxes coming 40 onthe outside as clearly shown by the top plan view in Fig. 4. The bulging top is the tender spot in an apple box and in providing means whereby the bulging tops of all the boxes in a tier always come on the outside most of the 45 danger of damage to the apples is eliminated.

When the boxes are stacked in tiers as shown dark places.

tion. This arrangement prevents contact of the adjoining sides 6 of the boxes should there be any bulging of the adjacent sides, as indicated at M, and thus prevents any damage to'the apples from this source. Furthermore, in retaining the boxes in spaced apart relation ample ventilation of the boxes is provided for thus keeping the apples cool and fresh.

One of the most important advantages derived from securing the cleats l2 to each-end of one side only of the apple box is that this arrangement provides positive means for indicating which side of each box is to be placed upon the next box below when stacking the boxes. This advantage is particularly useful whenstacking apple boxes in dark holds of ships and in other In such dark places the sense of touch is suflicient for stacking the boxes correctly as described herein, and when so stacked the labels and other markings on the boxes always come on the same exposed side or end which is an additional advantage.

In providing means whereby the boxes are stacked as hereinbefore described in the holds of ships, the use of all duimage is eliminated. Heretofore when stacking apple boxes in ships thousands of pieces of loose lumber, known as dunnage, has been used between the boxes. By means of my invention each box carries its own dunnage, namely the two cleats l2 permanently fixed thereto, thus obviating the use of all dunnage and effecting a large saving in time, expense and labor in procuring, laying and removing this loose dunnage.

When packing individual apples in the herein described boxes they are placed therein with their sides upward, their stem ends facing one side, and their calyx ends facing the other side of the box. Therefore when the boxes are turned on their sides and stacked in accordance with the method made available and necessaryv by my improvement the apples all lay on their ends and usually on their larger or stem ends. This is the natural and approved position of apples when packed and stacked for shipment or handling and prevents much bruising'of the apples. When the boxes are opened for consumption of the apples they are, of course, again laid on their bottoms with the apples resting on their sides whereby they are easier to remove from the box.

An'additional advantage of my invention resides in prevention of bruising the apples when the boxes are moved by hand trucks. Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawing, when moving the stack of boxes by hand truck its forward lip is slipped under the lowermost box between the two cleats 12' from the rear of the boxes that are shown in Fig. 3. When the boxes are tipped backward upon the truck their bottoms I will rest on the floor of the truck and their bulging tops II will be on the outside or uppermost where they will be free from pressure. It will be apparent that the tier or stack of apple boxes may be loaded and unloaded when using a hand truck by one man thus saving in the cost of labor besides preventing damage to the apples.

' onjts four corners. Besides being a difi'erently constructed box for a different purpose, it is apparent that a box constructed in accordance with this Horton patent defeats most of the objects and purposes of my invention. The same remarks apply to the patent of A. B. Tucker entitled Storage crate 'case, dated November 20, 1923, and numbered 1,475,093; and also to the patent of W. Tribble, entitled Shipping container, dated April 24, 1923, and numbered 1,452,768; while in thepatent to' C. N. Bruhn, entitled Egg crate, dated October 9, 1923, and numbered 1,470,215, one side of the crate is used for entry and no cleats are used. None of these boxes or crates could be used for packing and' shipping apples and most certainly none of same would be used by experienced apple packers or shippers.

In view of the many advantages of my invention as hereinbefore described, it will now be fully apparent that I have provided a new and useful improvement in apple boxes of the character described, the use of which results in a. material saving in time, money and labor, and also in a maximum prevention of bruising or otherwise damaging apples in their course of shipment. Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: v l

1. An article of manufacture comprising an apple box of the character described having side end and bottom walls and a thin bulging removable top, a cleat secured vertically to each end of one side only of the box whereby said cleats retain the boxes in spaced apart relation when stacked in tiers with the cleats of each succeeding box above resting on the side opposite the cleatsof the next box below and whereby the bulging topof each box is disposed on the outside tier of boxes.

2. An article of manufacture comprising an apple box of the character described comprising side, end and bottom walls and a thin bulging top, a pair of cleats secured transversely to the ends of one side only of the box whereby said cleats retain the boxes in spaced apart relation when stacked in tiers with the cleats of each succeeding box above resting on the sideof the box opposite to the cleats of the next box below and whereby the bulging top of each box is disposed on the outside of said tier of boxes, and the ends of said cleats terminating short of the top and bottom of the apple box.

3. An article of manufacture comprising an apple box of the character described comprising a box body and a thin removable bulging top, a pair of parallel spacing cleats rigidly secured to the end portions of one side only of the box and adapted to support said box in elevated position with its bulging top on the side when said box 7 is resting on its cleats, and said cleats adapted to serve as a positive means for indicating which side of each box is to be placed upon the side of the next box below when a plurality of said boxes are stacked one upon the other in tiers.

4. An article of manufacture comprising an apple box having comparatively thick end boards that are substantially square, side boards of thinner material that are approximately twice as long as said end boards, thin bottom boards, and a bulging removable top of very thin springy boards, a p ir of spacing cleats secured transversely to the ends of one side board only of the box, the ends of said cleats terminating short of the top and bottom boards, and said cleats adapted to serve as a positive means for indicating which side of each'box is to be placed upon the side of the next box below'whereby the bulging top of each box is' disposed on the outside when a-plurallty of said boxes are stacked one upon the other in tiers.

5. An article of manufacture comprising an apple box of the character described having a thin bulging removable top, and a. pair of spacing cleats secured to the ends of one side only of the box and at right angles to the bulging top.

WILLIAM M. VEAUX. 

